Rodale to launch 'Children's Health' special

Magazine hits shelves next week and could have future issues if demand warrants.

September 09, 2009|By Tyrone Richardson OF THE MORNING CALL

Emmaus-based publisher Rodale Inc., is tapping the staff of its popular healthy living publications to publish a special, one-time spin-off magazine named Children's Health, which will hit the newsstands next week.

The company is touting the magazine as a special issue, but isn't ruling out the possibility of publishing future issues if demand warrants.

David Zinczenko, editor-in-chief of Men's Health and editorial director of Women's Health and Children's Health, said Rodale is exploring various options for the magazine, but hasn't made any decisions.

"We're not launching a new magazine, but we are exploring a natural progression from Women's and Men's Health into Children's Health, which can take the form of more newsstand specials like this one, branded books, Web sites or even iPhone apps," Zinczenko said.

Children's Heath, with an initial print run of 750,000 copies, will be available on newsstands beginning Tuesday.

"Children's Health is the natural extension of the Men's Health and Women's Health brands," said Maria Rodale, Rodale's chief executive officer. "Our company has helped millions of men and women take better care of their minds and bodies; now we're helping them take better care of their children's health as well."

The magazine will feature an interview with first lady Michelle Obama, in addition to health tips for children, advice on inspiring them to read and a comparison of diapers tested by Rodale's company day care center in Emmaus.

"It's never been harder for parents to get authoritative answers to their children's health issues," Rodale said. "Children and their health are key strategic areas for Rodale going forward and the special issue of Children's Health is an important step in educating and empowering parents with the health information they need to make the best decisions for their family."

Editors at Men's Health and Women's Health, with assistance from former editors of the now-defunct Best Life magazine, collaborated to produce Children's Health.

"The staffs of Men's Health and Women's Health came together to do what comes naturally: create Children's Health," Zinczenko said.

Rodale's launch of Children's Health comes as the company, like all magazine publishers, grapples with sagging advertising revenue and competition from online publications.

In November, Rodale announced the elimination of 10 percent its work force, including 73 positions in its Emmaus office.

In May, the company discontinued Best Life, a spin-off of Men's Health that was launched in 2004 and had 526,000 paid subscriptions in the second half of 2008. The company said then it would shift some Best Life personnel to other departments. In January,

Rodale reported a slip in its 2008 revenues. Advertising revenues increased by 2.4 percent last year, compared with an industry-wide decline of 7.6 percent.

Besides magazines, the company has published several best-selling books, including the global-warming warning book "An Inconvenient Truth," by former Vice President Al Gore, and a series of diet titles, including "The South Beach Diet," and "Eat This, Not That."